Saturday, July 23, 2011

Well, after a long hiatus of baby raising and nursing it seems as though my thoughts on NCB and such has caused quite a stir. I was targeted on a blog that demeans and mocks anything to do with NCB, attachment parenting, not vaccinating.... there is a mini debate going on in the comment section of this post and I figured I would respond better here.

In these past almost 8 months I have not lost my passion for changing the modern medical system into something more natural, something safer for both mother and baby. Especially since my friends are having their babies any day now. It is in fact, with these two women that I can properly explain my stance on birth as a whole.

Mama 1 is one of my dearest friends, a sorority sister and an "auntie" to my girls. She is having her first baby around September 1st and was diagnosed as having gestational diabetes. She is trying to keep in the back of her mind that she does not want to be induced but knows that she runs the risk of having a very large baby and may need a scheduled c-section, which she doesn't want but it a real threat. Would I suggest to her that she sees a midwife, ignored her doctors advice for checking on the baby more often, and still push for a normal birth? No! She has pretty severe diabetes and needs to be tended to as more of a medical case than a natural process. Do I hope that she asks questions and stays informed that gestational weight can be off by pounds and therefore she shouldn't totally dismiss the thoughts of giving birth vaginally? Yes!

Mama 2 is also a dear friend and about to have baby #3. She had one baby naturally, no drugs and tore the most you possibly can since her little girl decided she was in a rush to be born. Baby #2 was also a vaginal birth but with a touch of pain medicine since she was terrified of tearing again that bad. This baby is going to be a NCB as well hopefully. I am so proud of her for being brave enough to go the no medication route, but she will tell you that she knows that it is what is best for her and the baby, that she likes to be in control of her body and that isn't an option when epidurals are given. That is her decision and her beliefs.

Neither of these women are right or wrong. They are just doing what is right for their own bodies, with what information is given. I guess most of these silly debates boil down to that simple fact- depending on what information you have, what do you do with the information?? Honestly, most women don't want to hear about how dangerous epidurals are, how hospital practices are driving the rates of mortality and c-sections up (it is NOT due to women having small pelvises or any nonsense like that). They don't want to know about OBs who give episiotomys without consent or due cause, or how to handle the pain of childbirth in a natural non-medicated way. And they definitely don't want to hear that due dates are just an ESTIMATION and can be off by weeks.

I feel that my first birth went wrong not because of the OB's push to induce or the hospital time clock, but the lack of information I was given. I had NO CLUE that I didn't have to consent to the c-section or that at 38 weeks it was just not good to induce. I didn't know that with the help of a Doula, I would have been confidant in my abilities to birth and that all the people who scared me about the pain didn't know better. But then I learned... and what I chose to do was my responsibility.

So, for all those people out there who think that natural child birth supporters are baby killers or just plain looney... have you really looked at the facts and used your own common sense that connects the high mortality rates in the US to the modern medical practices? Maybe there is a better way?

Sunday, January 9, 2011

(Sorry this is so late folks.... babies don't leave a lot of time for blogging!)

Even though I had planned on VBACing with this baby it turns out that she just wasn't engaged in my pelvis so my OB and I decided to go ahead with a c-section. This was both an easy decision and a really tough decision, if that makes any sense. I felt relieved that there was an end in sight, that my OB had done everything in his power to get this little girl to engage my pelvis, and that this time I was making a very informed decision. But at the same time I was really disappointed because I was so informed and was still ending up in the OR. I had switched from an OB who was so anti-VBAC that she resorted to lying to me, to an OB who was everything a pregnant woman could hope for. I got a doula, read the right books, and worked super hard to encourage the baby to come down. And yet, there I was, looking at yet another surgery.... Still, in the end I was ok with the decision because I felt like it was 100% my choice and that I was still giving the baby time to come on her own by waiting a few more days.

So on Tuesday morning, at 6am, Klint and I arrived at the hospital to get the ball rolling and meet our baby. The surgery was scheduled for 7:30am and everything looked like it was going to go as planned. I got my IV, the appropriate paperwork was signed, and I had been fasting since 10pm the previous evening. All that we needed to do was meet with the anesthesiologist. But then a hiccup in the plans occurred.... apparently another expecting mommy needed an emergency c-section and they were going to have to bump my delivery to the early afternoon.... not good news for a hungry and anxious pregnant woman!

So Klint and I hung out in a room until the afternoon came and we were given the green light that at 1pm I was going to be rolled into the OR. Ahhhh! Crazy!! After the news came that everyone was all set to go things are a little blurry because of all the emotions going through me at the time.... I was scared of the spinal (I react REALLY badly to any kind of anesthesia), I was excited to finally meet the baby, and I was a little nervous about yet another surgery.All in all, the surgery started at about 1pm and at exactly 1:30pm Miss Moira Marie Krebs was born into the world! I remember a LOT of pressure around my ribcage to pop her out... not the most pleasant feeling in the world, hearing her cry for the first time, and then the whole unpleasantness of the doc putting me back together. There were some moments where I thought I was going to be sick from all the pulling and tugging sensations, but thankfully Klint helped me stay calm and not pass out from everything. I don't know if I would have made it without his strength by my side. It was so nice knowing that as soon as Moira was weighed that Klint had her and she was with her daddy.

About 30 mins after they got Moira out I was stitched back up and was given the baby to hold while we went to the recovery room for a couple of hours. From there on I was taken to my post postpartum room where I stayed until I was discharged. There is absolutely nothing negative that I can say about any part of my hospital stay, from the nurses who took care of me to the supporting staff. Everyone was kind, compassionate, very skilled, and at no time did I ever feel like a burden or a pain. I was actually so happy with my care that I spoke with the head of nursing to tell her how much I enjoyed my stay and that every single nurse there had my complete gratitude.So that is Moira Marie Kreb's birth story. A very happy ending to a very eventful pregnancy!!

Hi there! My name is Connie and I created this blog to both educate and raise awareness about birth today in modern America. I am currently pregnant with my 3rd little girl and had to search fervently to find an OB provider who will support my goal of a successful vaginal birth after 2 cesareans or a VBA2C. (Luckily at 22 weeks I found one!)

This blog is a log of that journey in the hopes that maybe my fight will help someone else with theirs!